Four Times Gibbs Saved Abby
by Zabby
Summary: and the One Time He Didn't.  A look into the developing relationship between Gibbs and Abby over the years. Gibbs/Abby, written for Bluefirebird on the Gabby Forum, Spoilers for 9x4
1. Chapter 1

Title: Four Times Gibbs saved Abby, and the One Time He Didn't  
>Author: Zabby<br>Pairing: Gibbs/Abby  
>Rating: PG-13<br>Spoilers: 9x04  
>Author's Note: For Bluefirebird on the Gabby Forum! Sorry if this fic took a side street from the original prompt. Whumping and Gibbs led to other avenues. ;)<p>

This first time Gibbs saved her, Abby wasn't really in any danger. Well, any physical danger. She was, however, in danger of losing the chance to work at NCIS without even realizing it.

Abby wanted the job at NCIS. Not just wanted it; needed it. Sure, there were plenty of forensics labs around the country that would kill to have someone like her working for them. But Abby wanted her first choice. And her first choice was NCIS. She wanted the chance to work near the country's capital, Washington, D.C, home of the President and all kinds of exotic adventures. She wanted to work with an organization with the reputation NCIS had. She wanted the best.

Dropping her travel size Caf-Pow! into the trash receptacle, Abby Sciuto took a deep breath as she examined the elevator in front of her. She had a 9am appointment with the director of NCIS, and looking down at her chunky, black watch with a rhinestone skull gleaming out at her, she figured she was about fifteen minutes early. _Early is on time, and on time is late_, her mother would often tell her. And it was a lesson Abby learned young. So, here she was, early for her interview. Only problem? She had to actually get on the elevator.

Abby didn't know when her nerves had overtaken her, when her usual outgoing personality had been slammed by fear. But she was frozen where she stood, doubting her ability of succeeding at the interview, fearing her qualifications wouldn't be enough. The same qualifications that had made her one of the most sought after forensics scientists in the country, even fresh out of graduate school.

Despite glowing reviews and recommendations from both her professors and colleagues, multiple publications in peer-reviewed publications, and being wined and dined by the best research and crime labs, she just couldn't seem to get her feet to move. Abby was at the top of her field – leading the field, in fact – and she couldn't get her platform-booted feet to get close enough for her to push the unlit elevator button. It just sat there, taunting her. Abby glared it at like the button had personally offended it, willing her hand to reach out and push. But nothing. She was frozen.

She was considering an escape route back to her hearse when a salt-and-pepper haired man stopped alongside of her. From her peripheral, Abby could see him glance briefly from her stacked, black boots, to her pleated skirt, to her briefcase, and to finally resting on her face after taking a brief moment to examine the visitor's pass pinned to the lapel of her buttoned vest. Before she could mumble through an awkward greeting to the attractive older man, the elevator door dinged open, and he stepped forward, holding it for her.

Her feet refused once more to move until a raise of an eyebrow and a smirk of his way too sexy lips propelled her forward. She finally made it in and took a deep breath when the stranger stood next to her after pressing a button for an upper floor. As the door slid closed and the car pushed them up, the man turned to her, holding out a hand. "Name's Gibbs, Special Agent Gibbs."

His blue eyes held her captive, nerves for the upcoming interview melting away to be replaced by butterflies in the pit of her stomach when his large hand enveloped her smaller one. "Abby Sciuto. I'm here to interview with Director Morrow for the forensics specialist position."

The eyebrow lift and sexy smirk were back as he processed the information, looking towards the doors again. He leaned forward and pushed a second button; the floor that would lead to her interview. "That so?" he asked almost to himself, the gleam in his eyes making her pull at her skirt, second-guessing her wardrobe choice.

But no, she was Abby. She wasn't going to be changing herself for any job, no matter how much she wanted the position. If she was meant to work at NCIS, her resume and abilities would have to speak for themselves, black nails or not. But still, the nagging worries and self-doubt were coming back, forcing her to chew on her lower lip.

"Any suggestions?" she asked, hoping she didn't sound too desperate.

Feeling the elevator car sliding to a stop, she tried to hide the pleading in her eyes, keeping her own gaze locked on the closed elevator doors. The last thing she wanted to do was feel desperate, and her face was trying to give her away. He turned to her one last time as he left with the simple phrase, "Just be…you."

Abby kept her eyes on him as elevator closed again, propelling her to the floor above where her interview awaited. _Just be you_. She heard the deep rumble of his voice in her head as she walked out of the car, following the directions she'd obtained to the Director's office. Glancing to the side, she could see the special agent watching her from the floor below, surrounded by computers and cubicles. Abby nodded once to him in thanks, giving him a small smile before turning back to the door leading to her interview.

Taking a deep breath, she turned the doorknob and shifted inside, quietly surprised at the strength the stranger's words had given her.

An hour later, Abby slipped from the Director's office, drained but satisfied with her performance during the interview. She'd managed to make a good impression, at least she hoped so. Director Morrow seemed impressed with her background, and every question he gave her, Abby fielded with detailed, intelligent answers. Now, she could only hope.

Desperate to escape for a little peace and Caf-Pow!, Abby stopped herself from running to the elevator, instead, taking careful, measured steps. The last thing she'd want to do is trip and fall in front of the security cameras she was sure were installed all over the building. The elevator opened quickly, and she stepped inside. As the doors began to slide closed, Abby caught a glimpse of the silver-haired fox that she'd met earlier. Slightly disappointed that they would not meet up again – at least not unless she got the job, she gave him another smile as the doors came to their final position.

With a final shake of her body, Abby released the nervous energy that had taken residence inside of her. Wouldn't do her any good to worry and fret until the final call came. Until then, she would treat herself to her regular, over-caffeinated beverage and maybe that new collar she'd seen in a specialty store. The white leather collar and star called to her. And it was just the thing she could use to distract herself.

Gibbs knew without looking that Morrow had walked up behind him, and he asked without turning. "How'd it go?"

No longer insulted by the lead agent's more…abrupt manner, Morrow answered after some consideration. "She's good, damn good. We'd be lucky to have her here. Even though our lab isn't as 'high-tech' as others out there, Ms. Sciuto made it quite clear she wants to work with us. There's just the one problem…" He trailed off, not wanting to ready to voice his concerns.

"What's that, Sir?" Gibbs perhaps didn't have the manners some of the other agents did. Really, he didn't need them; long as he got the job done. So, when his questions were short, even towards the powerful director beside him, Gibbs wasn't worried. Morrow knew his methods, knew to rely on the results. And if sometimes the agent came across as gruff or rude, he knew the director would just ignore him in the end.

"Don't know that she'd fit in here. Look at her style of dress, her hair, those boots. That's not the kind of impression we need our forensics specialist to make on the witness stand. Her credibility would be questioned simply by the cobweb on her neck. I don't see how…" Uncharacteristically, the director's words faded away, leaving dead air in the conversation, his frustration evident.

"What about the other applicants?"

Director Morrow snorted as if Gibbs had told a joke. "The other applicants had nothing compared to what that girl completed with her first Bachelor's degree, let alone the rest of her education and experience."

The two men were silent, each left to their thoughts. Finally, Gibbs cleared his throat and without looking at the man beside him, said, "You can always get a person to dress different, to cover a tattoo and wear different shoes. But if she's everything you say, I don't think we could get someone more qualified. Give her a shot, Director. She'll be on a probationary period anyhow. If she doesn't work out, you can always look again."

And with that, the senior agent walked away, in his hand a perpetual coffee cup, the fate of a certain black-haired scientist saved by his insight.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Four Times Gibbs saved Abby, and the One Time He Didn't  
>Author: Zabby<br>Pairing: Gibbs/Abby  
>Rating: PG-13<br>Spoilers: 9x04  
>Author's Note: For Bluefirebird on the Gabby Forum! Sorry if this fic took a side street from the original prompt. Whumping and Gibbs led to other avenues. ;)<p>

The second time Gibbs saved her was from a flirty new agent straight from Baltimore P.D.

Recently recruited and fresh from the course of instruction NCIS gives every new agent, Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo – heavy emphasis on the 'special' – had decided to turn his considerable Italian charm on one overworked and slightly annoyed forensics specialist. Sure, the newest member of Gibbs' team was attractive and charismatic, but he just wasn't Abby's type.

She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she'd been finding her type changing in recent months. Instead of dark, moody and dangerous, Abby found herself drawn to silent, honorable, sometimes brooding older men with silver hair and piercing blue eyes. Okay, if she was honest, her interest focused primarily on Special Agent Gibbs. Didn't help that he seemed to treat her special; bringing her Caf-Pows! more often, staying to ask about her move to D.C. from Louisiana, focusing his intense blue eyes on her as he gave her his complete attention, kisses on the cheek after her evidence reporting.

It really wasn't fair, Abby'd decided. Tony really was an attractive guy, charming too. Most women would love the attention from tall, dark and handsome. She just couldn't get Gibbs out of her head.

Though it seemed her lack of interest wasn't deterring Special Agent DiNozzo any. He seemed to take her lack of focus as some sort of challenge, upping his flirting to the point Gibbs' started smacking him on the back of the head more often, just to get the younger agent to pay attention.

Take now for example.

Abby was in the middle of reporting her recent findings amongst the batch of fingerprints taken from their current case. However, Tony's attention seemed to be focused on sliding close to her side, penetrating her personal space, all in a rouse to ask her to dinner. From the corner of her vision, she could tell his eyes were alternating between her dark lips and her only slightly exposed cleavage. Resisting the urge to pull at the neckline of her shirt, Abby couldn't help the sigh that escaped her lips as she tried to get his attention back on the case. "Tony, think you could focus for a minute? And no, can't do dinner. Busy," she added with a gesture toward the evidence she had yet to process.

"I don't know," came the slick reply. "It's kinda hard to concentrate on the information when the one talking is so much more…informative. And I'm sure the evidence can wait just a little bit to give us a chance to sneak away, share a bottle of wine and…ouch!" Rubbing the back of his head, Tony sheepishly followed Gibbs with his eyes, the back of his head still smarting for the head smack he'd been given.

"I'd reconsider finishing that statement, DiNozzo." The low voice, almost a growl, came from nowhere, the stealth of the man impressing, instead of scaring, Abby. "The lady said she wasn't interested. Instead of making yourself look like an ass, why don't you accept her decision and maybe try to act like a gentleman? Hell, maybe even try just being her friend?"

Something finally must have gotten through to Tony, whether it was Gibbs' growling speech or the slap he'd given to the back of Tony's head. Whatever the case, Tony changed after that, was more respectful, even friendly, with some of the flirtation was still coming through. He was Tony after all.

And before she knew it, Gibbs saved Abby from missing the chance to have Tony as her best friend.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Four Times Gibbs saved Abby, and the One Time He Didn't  
>Author: Zabby<br>Pairing: Gibbs/Abby  
>Rating: PG-13<br>Spoilers: 9x04  
>Author's Note: For Bluefirebird on the Gabby Forum! Sorry if this fic took a side street from the original prompt. Whumping and Gibbs led to other avenues. ;)<p>

Time number three where Gibbs saved Abby, he almost didn't come through. Though she trusted him completely, knew he'd do anything for her and his team, there was a moment of doubt, a stab in her heart that told her he might not be able to save her from the pain. And even if she could forgive Gibbs anything, a part of her would always hurt if he didn't save her this time.

The team, well most of the team, was gathered around Ducky's table for Thanksgiving dinner. Ziva was ravishing in her red, and the men were dashing all dressed up. Abby'd even said so, making them blush, which was actually kinda cute. Seeing tough, experienced men blush a little from a compliment, it made Abby smile and vow to do it more often. (Okay, maybe McGee wasn't the hard-shell-tough like Tony or the years-of-experience-tough like Ducky. But Timmy had developed into a strong man, even if a little squishy on the inside. Truth be told, they were all squishy on the inside; even if they didn't want to show it.)

But something was missing from the Thanksgiving table, something leaving a big hole in her heart…Gibbs. Even though Ducky had hounded the older agent about coming, pretty much insisting despite Gibbs' protests, Abby feared that he wouldn't come through, that he'd close himself off in that basement of his with his ghosts and his bourbon. And even if she smiled and showed it didn't bother her, not having Gibbs at Ducky's Thanksgiving dinner would break her heart.

Gibbs was the head of their makeshift family; most of them having nowhere else to go, no other family to welcome them. Ducky was alone. Ziva was thousands of miles of distance between her and her father. McGee didn't always like going home to his overbearing father (he felt more at home with his NCIS family). Tony….well, Tony's father wasn't always the most reliable of family members, often putting Tony in risky situations. Gibbs had his father, though the eldest Gibbs usually preferred to stay in Stillwater. And Abby, she'd lost both of her parents, her brother making his own family and his own memories without her (which hurt…a lot). So, this team of misfit toys made up a family, as dysfunctional as they were.

Family was the most important part of Abby's life, as important as forensics. Though she wasn't related to the people surrounding her by blood, she was their family by history, by accident, by love, and, in the end, by choice. With her own family gone from her or missing from in her life, she held those closer to her even tighter. She needed them, felt like she would wither without their love.

And Gibbs was such a big part of her life, of that love, that if he went missing tonight, she'd feel his absence like a hole in her heart. But Gibbs was Gibbs. You couldn't force him to attend if he had it in his head to stay away, to nurse a bottle of bourbon in his basement. Didn't mean that Abby had to like it, though. As soon as the dinner died down and her friends made their way to their beds, she knew Ducky would pack up some food for her to take. Ducky knew her so well, he didn't need to ask.

As they were settling down for the start of dinner, each with a wineglass in their hand, Abby had to bite her lip to stop the trembling. He wasn't going to come, he wasn't going to fight the ghosts this time. But a creak and a click of the front door had her gasping softly. Gibbs was here. She jumped up to meet him, her heart rushing in her joy.

And there he was, in front of her, almost sheepishly holding a paper bag in a hand, saving her again.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Four Times Gibbs saved Abby, and the One Time He Didn't  
>Author: Zabby<br>Pairing: Gibbs/Abby  
>Rating: PG-13<br>Spoilers: 9x04  
>Author's Note: For Bluefirebird on the Gabby Forum! Sorry if this fic took a side street from the original prompt. Whumping and Gibbs led to other avenues. ;)<p>

The fourth, and most recent, time Gibbs saved her life was when everything about her world had changed, and she couldn't tell what was truth from the lie.

She was adopted. How could she be adopted? There had never been any questions when she was growing up, any doubt that her genetic traits came from the couple that raised her, that their love for her was that from parents to biological child. Sure, she wasn't deaf like they were, but Abby just figured her ears had missed that recessive gene being passed to her. A part of Abby knew they loved her no matter what, no matter that she wasn't genetically their daughter. But the doubt and the questions were hard to silence, especially since she was a secret they kept until they died.

Even after the test results came through and the DNA match glared at her from the plasma, she just couldn't accept the truth. Not until she saw herself through the glass at that pet store. Saw her eyes, her hair, her smile on a stranger's face, a man's face. She had a brother she'd never known, a family hidden by secrets somewhere.

In shock, Abby guessed she'd driven around for awhile when she found her car parked outside of Gibbs' house, night having chased away the day. She shook her head to try and clear the confusion, but the fog remained. She needed the one thing she knew would clear her mind. She needed Gibbs.

Shutting off the engine of her hot rod, she followed her instincts and made her way to the one constant in her life, Gibbs' arms.

Curled up against his chest, Abby let her confusion and pain spill out, knowing, trusting him to understand what to do. She learned that night that sometimes the only thing to do was to cry and let the pain wash through her.

Hours later, she woke up, nestled against his strong side, a cocoon of a blanket resting over them. His heartbeat was steady and real underneath her cheek, and she drew strength from it. Her life might be in turmoil now; not knowing whom she was or where she was supposed to go now. But there would always be Gibbs in her life, holding her, comforting her, loving her.

Abby shifted slowly in his arms, her eyes finding his face in the dark as a shaft of light illuminated his face. Despite how late it was, despite her falling asleep on him, Gibbs was still awake, still watching over her, still making sure she would always know that she belonged with him no matter how the world was falling around them.

She reached up then, cupping his cheek. And in the dim light, Abby saw an answer to a question she didn't realize she'd asked. Her pulse calmed in her chest and then quickly sped up as she pressed her lips to his, seeking the connection she knew hid there. In that moment, when he pulled her even closer, their lips searching for a great friction, Abby knew that Gibbs had finally saved her heart.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Four Times Gibbs saved Abby, and the One Time He Didn't  
>Author: Zabby<br>Pairing: Gibbs/Abby  
>Rating: PG-13<br>Spoilers: 9x04  
>Author's Note: For Bluefirebird on the Gabby Forum! Sorry if this fic took a side street from the original prompt. Whumping and Gibbs led to other avenues. ;)<p>

With a moan, Abby opened her eyes to look at the man beneath her. The shaft of moonlight sliding across his eyes showed her he was asleep again, his shallow and deep breaths confirming her suspicion. He looked peaceful like that, the lines of a hard driven life smoothed out as he dreamed. _Did Gibbs dream_, she wondered. Well, logically she knew that everyone dreamed, but Gibbs was different. Stubborn. Maybe he willed his dreams away. If anyone could intimidate his subconscious into not producing dreams, it'd be him.

Abby sighed as she stretched her back, trying to ease the tension on her body. She was pressed up against a wall. Gibbs' headed nestled in her lap. Though her muscles screamed for relief, Abby couldn't comply. He was sleeping so deeply, she didn't want to wake him. Her fingers itched to smooth back the hair that had fallen across his forehead, but they were bound behind her back, unusable.

The ropes binding her wrists and ankles were cutting into skin from her struggles hours earlier. And even without the ability to see them looking, she knew blood had seeped into the rough material. The situation was meant to be hopeless, but she wasn't going to give up. Not yet. She'd keep struggling into she was free. Until they both were free.

But hours, maybe days, had passed without escape or rescue, and hope was starting to dim. No one was coming to their rescue. No one even knew where they were or who had taken them.

Gibbs wasn't going to save her this time.

She looked at him again, as he lay with his head on her lap, blood streaking from cuts on his mouth and over his eyes. The left eye was beginning to swell, turning black from being hit, and his lower lip was split from the impact of a fist. From watching the attack, Abby guessed that there were bruises blooming over his chest and sides and a few ribs were either cracked or broken. Gibbs had to be in excruciating pain, though he refused to show it, refused to give anything the kidnapper wanted.

In the beginning, after hours of confusion and determination to escape, their abductor had finally come into their prison, and Abby had felt a glimmer of hope that maybe she could talk her way around him. After all, he had loved her once, albeit in an insane way. Maybe she could convince him to at least let Gibbs go. Abby would stay with him as long as the older man could go free.

But Mikel quickly freed her of that hope.

There'd be no leaving for either of them. Once the man started talking, he couldn't seem to stop. He talked about how he'd become better at stalking his prey (the gleam in his eyes at the word 'prey' made Abby shiver in fear), while in jail how he could never get her out of his mind. He spoke for what seemed like hours of all the fantasies he had, ones he was intent on fulfilling now that he was free and she was under his control. Even Gibbs had found a place in his twisted desires, a new objective to punish the man who tried to keep Abby from him.

And while he talked and talked, Mikel beat Gibbs, whose own hands and feet were bound like Abby's were, only tighter to prevent any movement at all. Abby cried as punch after punch was delivered to his face and kidneys, kicks striking the sides of his torso to break bones and crack ribs. Though her brain screamed at her to turn away in terror, Abby forced her eyes to stay locked on Gibbs, watching every hit, every kick, trying to send whatever strength she could to the man being tortured for her sake.

But watching Gibbs slip in and out of consciousness even as the beatings continued was the hardest thing Abby'd ever had to endure. He was the strongest man she'd ever known; but even he had his limits. How much more could he take before his body simply gave up? She pleaded and screamed at Mikel to let Gibbs go, crying for him to hit her instead, trying to get his anger to turn on her. But the maniacal laugh forced her protests to silence since they seemed to only encourage the crazed man more.

Only when the maniac tired himself out, they were left alone. Abby dragged and pulled herself across the room, pushing herself to a seated position against the wall next to Gibbs. Wiggling underneath his head, she finally settled when her legs cradled him.

Knowing that Gibbs had been beaten, knowing it was her fault, Abby couldn't help the tears from slipping down her cheeks. She tried to wipe the wetness free from her cheeks, but she couldn't stop one tear from falling onto his face. His eyes opened, and her heart broke at the dim focus he turned onto her.

"Oh Gibbs. I'm so sorry." She blinked back the tears, trying to show some strength in the face of her fear and his pain. The urge to touch him was so great she pulled again on the rope, desperate for freedom. For a hopeful moment, Abby thought she felt a give in the tie on her wrists. But a second tug gave her nothing more, and she fell back against the wall.

"Not your…fault, Abb…" Below her, Gibbs was struggling to speak. "Psycho…path."

"Easy, Gibbs. Please. Don't speak. Save your strength. He may come back." Her voice was choked up and was almost as halting, as his own. "He will come back. Gibbs, I don't think you can survive another beating like that. Gibbs…"

"After…all this…time…after you…and me…when…call me Jethro." Even bleeding and broken, he was trying to flirt with her. They'd only just started a relationship. Kisses and conversations being their only venture along that path. Abby had hoped to explore what 'Abby and Jethro' meant when Mikel had broken into Gibbs' house and used a high voltage stungun on both of them (first on Gibbs, then on Abby as she had surged to attack him), knocking them unconscious.

And now, in the middle of torture and fear, he was still holding her attention. "Jethro," she said through a watery smile. "After everything…" In an uncharacteristic move, Abby growled in an almost perfect imitation of Gibbs, pulling even harder at her bonds.

With a surprised gasp, Abby felt the rope loosen slightly. She struggled harder, careful to not jostle the man resting against her. Bit by bit the binding relaxed its hold on her, allowing more movement. Finally, her arms extend fully, the rope falling to the ground.

Abby fought the instinct to kick her legs out, and instead, gently lifted Gibbs to set his head on the ground. Reaching for her ankles, she untied the knot before moving to him. She carefully lifted him, trying not to jostle his injuries as she sought to release him from his bonds. With a minimal amount of groaning from Gibbs, she had him free.

Kneeling next to his head, she lightly laid her hands on either side of his head. "I'm going to get us out of here, Gibbs. When he comes back…" She shook her head, unsure of what she was really going to do when Mikel reappeared. "I'll figure something out."

She lowered her head to his, their foreheads touching. "Just so you know...in case we don't get out of here…"

Gibbs shook his head slowly. "No…we are getting…out…No goodbyes."

Their lips met, Abby being careful of the cut he'd received from an earlier punch. She pulled away slowly, knowing that time was speeding towards Mikel's re-entrance. "Okay…time to find a plan." Before moving away, she shrugged out of her jacket, thankful she still had it on, before putting it under Gibbs' head.

"Now, if I was a weapon, where would I be?"

Not a lot was left behind in the concrete hole in which they were being imprisoned. A few cardboard boxes that did not look hopeful were shoved into a corner, but Abby attacked them in her quest. She didn't care about being quiet, though she tried not to make too much noise. In the last box, she found a broken lamp. Abby laughed out loud in victory. It was at least something she could use against Mikel.

Careful to detach the shattered bulb, she crawled back over to Gibbs, displaying her weapon proudly. "I'm going to get us out of here, Jethro. Just hold on for me, okay?" Abby watched as his lip twitched in a smirk so typical of Gibbs. She could tell he was barely holding onto consciousness as it was. So, she kissed his forehead softly before grabbing three lengths of rope. Abby would use the same bindings Mikel had used on Gibbs, but to tie her attacker instead.

Thankfully, she could hear movement over the floorboards above her head and knew she wouldn't have to wait long. He was coming back for another round. Abby moved to stand beneath the stairs, her shiny weapon clutched tightly in her hands. Memories of self-defense training with Ziva flashed through her brain, and Abby searched for the most vulnerable places she could hit. The nose and groin would be her two best options, depending on where he was when she attacked. She just needed to get him incapacitated to have the opportunity to tie him up. Then freedom for her and Gibbs.

Abby fought to keep her breathing quiet and even as the basement door creaked open. Drips of sweat slid between her breasts and down her back from the stress of the wait, her body demanding to attack, but patience winning out. He had to be in the right place before she could move. Abby was afraid she would only have one chance.

Each stair groaned as weight was put onto it, the sound getting louder with every movement from her abductor. Finally, she could see his feet through the slabs of wood. It was almost time to move. Suddenly, the noise grew quicker. He must have noticed Abby was no longer in sight.

The instant one foot touched the concrete ground Abby attacked, swinging her heavy lamppost at his head. The impact of metal against cheekbone made a sickening sound that almost stopped her actions. But she had to keep going. Peaceful, gentle Abby Sciuto had to save Gibbs. A second swing hit him in the groin, forcing Mikel to double over. With one final strike, she got him in the back of the neck, his body crashing to the ground.

Through her peripheral vision, she could see Gibbs struggling to sit up, but she forced her attention fully on disabling her abductor. Couldn't be distracted, not yet, not even by him. She put her weapon down and picked up the rope, her eyes flinching at the sight of blood on the twine. With moves her pig-farming relatives would be proud of, Abby hogtied Mikel, twisting and knotting one rope around his ankles and another around his wrist. The third rope she used to tie each knot together, effectually arching his back and making it nearly impossible for him to escape.

She leaned back to rest a moment on her heels, the trauma and shock of what she had just done threatening to make her go numb even as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. But she didn't pause for long. Instead, she forced herself to her feet, propelling her shaking body toward her man.

Her knees hit the ground when she reached Gibbs, and her hands came to rest at his shoulders. During her struggle with Mikel, he had pushed himself up into a seated position.

Abby could see the struggle he was having at keeping his eyes open, and she feared the concussion he was sure to have received from the bastard's boot. With thumbs gently pressed on both temples, she forced him to look at her.

"Jethro, stay with me. We're almost there. We're almost free. We just have to get you up those stairs. I'm not going to leave you down here with that…thing." She couldn't even call her ex a man anymore; his obsession driving away any semblance of humanity. "I need you to help, okay. I can't do this without you. You're the hero, remember? My hero. Please, Jethro."

It was a struggle to get him on his feet. With a little physics (with the right angle and fulcrum, Abby could move mountains) and help from Gibbs, Abby was able to get him up and moving. The stairs proved another challenge with the slow speed of their progress. But step-by-step, the two moved away from their prison and towards freedom.

And as it turned out, Gibbs didn't always have to do all the saving. Abby was pretty good at it herself.

A week back to work, and Abby was still flinching at sudden sounds and slamming doors. But nothing could keep her from her lab. She needed her babies surrounding her, protecting her with their mechanical beeps and whirs. The elevator doors dinged open, and she walked towards her lab, surprised to see shadows moving inside.

Despite knowing she was safe, that Mikel was in prison for a long time and Gibbs was healing, Abby couldn't help clutching her Caf-Pow! slightly tighter in reflex from panic. She knew fear would be her constant companion for awhile; she just hated the pounding heart that came with the jump.

Peeking her head into her lab, her eyebrows raised at whom she saw inside. "What're you guys doing in here?"

Tony, Tim and Ziva all turned at once at her voice. Words tumbled out as they tried to find a viable excuse. Looking to each other, Tony tried to take the lead.

"We're…um…it's just…well…"

"You're hiding, aren't you?" Abby shook her head in amusement as she moved to her desk. Putting her drink down, she turned back to them. "And you're hiding from…?"

Sheepishly, Tim bowed his head. "Gibbs. We're hiding from Gibbs."

Ziva stepped closer, drawing Abby's attention. "He is being especially…grumpy this morning. He is biting out at everyone. Made a new intern cry when he stepped off the elevator. Yes, Gibbs is normally a grumpy personality. But lately he has been remarkably growly since he came back to work, and he is even worse today. We were hoping…"

Tony put his arm around Abby in his warm, brotherly way. "We were hoping you could maybe talk to him. Since you both came back, he seems to be more…patient with you. Could you?"

Shaking her head, Abby let out a long-suffering sigh. "For you guys, I'll brave the lion in his den." She kissed Tony on the cheek before leaving her lab.

The elevator button pushed, she rocked back on her heels as she waited, wondering what it was that put Gibbs in an exceptionally bad mood. Abby didn't have to search long for him. When the doors opened for her, the man in question was about to step off, presumably to look for his wayward agents.

The frown on his face was quickly replaced by a smile at the sight of her. "Abby."

"Hey, Gibbs." Even though she'd agreed in their dungeon to call him by his first name, by an unspoken agreement, she still called him by his surname at work. Stepping onto the elevator, Abby prevented him from exiting. The doors slid behind her before she pressed the stop button.

"What is it, Abbs? I'm looking for my team. Pretty sure they're hiding in your lab." The growl was starting to creep back into his voice, and Abby could only roll her eyes at him.

"Yeah, they are. They're hiding from you 'cause apparently you're on a rampage lately. Care to talk about it?"

"Abbs…" The warning was low in his throat. And with anyone else, the threat would have worked.

"Don't you 'Abbs' me. Something's wrong, Gibbs. So, spill it. Does it have something to do with…" She couldn't finish the sentence, not ready to face the nightmare again. He looked away from her then, and she knew she'd figured him out. "Come on, Gibbs. It's me. We've been through so much, already. Don't shut me out now."

He moved to the wall of the elevator, leaning against the metal as he considered how to answer her. Abby moved next to him, giving him the time he needed though maybe not the space. Abby wasn't that kind of girl.

"I can't get passed that basement, Abbs. You shouldn't have had to rescue me. You shouldn't have had to tear at your skin or bash him over the head. It should have been me. I should have protected you. If I had been alert, more on my guard like I usually am, he wouldn't have been able to get that close to you. He wouldn't have been able to put his hands on you."

Putting her Caf-Pow!, in the corner of the elevator, Abby faced him, still leaning her side on the door. She reached up, her hand brushing through his silver hair, moving it down to cup his face. Her thumb caressed his skin as his blue eyes met her green ones.

"It's not your fault, Jethro. It wasn't your crazy that put us in that cellar. And you saved me. You always save me. If you weren't the strong, wonderful man you are, I wouldn't have been able to find the power to free us. You would have died down there. Probably me right along with you. But I couldn't let that happen to you. Not when we've finally found each other. You're my hero, Leroy Jethro Gibbs."

She shifted closer to him, her lips a mere breath from his. And before they kissed, she whispered, "And you can save me. Anytime."

Fin.


End file.
